U of U Ballet Ensemble Performance (SLC: Feb 17 - 19)

Ballet Ensemble to Feature World Renowned, Award Winning
and New Works


§ University of Utah Ballet Ensemble
§ February 17-19th 7:30pm, 19th 2:00pm
§ Marriott Center for Dance
§ Under the Direction of Bené Arnold



Contact Sara Pickett
801.585.6237 sara.pickett@utah.edu

The University of Utah’s Department of Ballet offers a rare treat for its audiences with Ballet Ensemble performing an excerpt from Val Caniparoli’s Lamberena, restaged by Instructor Maggie Tesch. Directed by Bené Arnold, Chair of the Department of Ballet, the company will also perform ballets from Peter Christie, Stevan Noakovitch, Shaun Ricks, Edward Truit and Regina Zarhin. Performances are February 17-19th at 7:30 and a 2:00 matinee on the 19th in the Marriott Center for Dance.

Caniparoli created Lamberena for the San Francisco Ballet, which premiered in 1995 to wide acclaim. With influences drawn from classical ballet, modern and African dance, set to baroque music and traditional African songs, the ballet has been a favorite of companies across the United States and performed by companies in Singapore, South Africa and England.

Tesch, whose relationship with Caniparoli began her first year in Ballet West, says of the process, “I am very excited that Val is allowing us to perform 2 sections from his ballet Lamberena. This ballet is in the current repertoire of companies throughout the United States including Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet, Atlanta Ballet and Nevada Dance Theatre to name a few. Val was able to come and coach the dancers in November which was such a treat for them to work with someone who is currently setting work with 1/2 a dozen companies, both classical and contemporary currently. For the dancers in the department to get a hands-on experience with someone of his stature is rare and quite a treat.”


Guest Artist Peter Christie created a ballet titled Les Petit Merveilles with music by Edouard Lalo – Norwegian Rhapsody. Christie is currently the Director of Education at the Ballet West Academy. He joined the artistic staff in 1998 after a 16-year career as a corps member and, later, a soloist with the Company. During his ballet career, Christie was especially noted for his character roles. He continues to appear as a guest artist with Ballet West

Stevan Novakovich created Amadeus Figarus, with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (from the Opera Marriage of Figaro). He said of the work, “As the starting point I was inspired by lavish entertainment style of court opera and ballet, as a choreographer, I chose to use the genre of opera known as “Opera Buffa” which was made for more common people, in order to shed nothing more but my own satirical commentary on overly dramatic as well as thoroughly entertaining plots of opera and ballet in which much can happen on a single “folle journe´e” –a crazy day.

Shaun Ricks, a Graduate student in the Department of Ballet says her piece, Le Coeur Jeune (the young heart) “…is a piece that reflects the internal questions that every young artist struggles with as they mature. The dancing works within a mixture of music and spoken text from the poignant and inspirational "Letters to a Young Poet" by Rainer Maria Rilke, and employs the use of mimetic movement as well as contemporary dance to capture for the audience the feelings of those who are seeking to understand themselves, the purpose of their work, love, and the grand stage of life.”

Kinetic Ties by Edward R. Truitt, Visiting Asstistant Professor of Ballet premiered with Lone Star Ballet in 2004 with an award winning performance at the “Grand Prix Italia” in June of 2005, winning 1st place for best contemporary ballet, 2nd place for best choreography. “Kinetic Ties,” says Truitt, “is a contemporary ballet exploring human relationships. In this journey of life people come and go in a whirlwind of motion weaving a patchwork of experiences that are unique for each individual… teachers, parents, mentors, lovers, friends, acquaintances, people we work with, and people we depend on that touch our lives whom we don’t even know well. All these people have “ties” to our lives and affect us in known or unknown ways, they come and go in our journey, and come and go and ultimately everyone leaves us or we leave them in some way. We are a work in progress – a result of these “ties.” And if we are lucky in life we may meet someone exceptional who’s encounter may change us forever who may give us a chance to wipe off the old, to let it go, to be new.”

На Расстанной мы расстались… is a work by Assistant Professor Regina Zarhina accompanied by poems by Alexander Pushkin and Joseph Brodsky and music selections by Ottorino Respighi, Ancient Airs and Dances, Alexander Golijov, Lullaby and Doina, and Franz Krommer, Clarinet Concerto in E-flat Major.

Performances are held at the Hayes Christensen Theatre at the Marriott Center for Dance (U of U campus, 330 South 1500 East, Salt Lake City, just west of the Marriott Library), on February 17-19 at 7:30pm and a Saturday Matinee on February 19th at 2:00 pm., 2011. Student tickets are $7 each, and general admission is $10. Tickets are available through the Kingsbury Hall Ticket office at 801.581.7100, online at www.kingtix.com or at the Marriott Center for Dance box office one hour prior to the performance. For more information call 801.581.7327 or visit us at www.ballet.utah.edu.
###